Warminster, U.K. Mayor Township Tour on Wednesday

Warminster officials have planned a full day of landmarks and events to celebrate Warminster, U.K. Mayor Paul Batchelor's arrival to the sister township on Wednesday.

According to Board of Supervisors Chairman Leo Quinn, the tour will begin at 1 p.m. and take the mayor to familiar sights including Craven Hall, William Tennent High School, the NADC centrifuge, the library and township building.

The highlight of the day will be Batchelor's arrival at the Hartsville Fire Company's 9/11 memorial on York Road at 6:30 p.m. After an opportunity for photographs, Batchelor and his two daughters will be invited to participate in the annual ceremony at 7 p.m. by reading the names of some of the first responders who died during the attack.

Following the ceremony, Bathelor and his family will be invited to small dinner outing. Quinn said Batchelor has not yet determined if he will spend more time in town on Thursday and grab a round of golf at Five Ponds, for example.

Batchelor's visit continues the efforts by both towns to form an informal, twin relationship that will hopefully establish an ongoing cultural exchange in the future. The first steps were made when Nick and Martin Pitcher arrived in town in May and toured Warminster with the Rotary Club's then-President Greg Hucklebridge.

Nick Pitcher, the owner of a pub located in Warminster, U.K., presented his town council with a sealed proclamation advocating the pairing of the two Warminsters. According to the Wiltshire Times, the plan for a casual, informal relationship was approved.

Simon Burn, the editor for WarminsterWeb.co.uk, sent to Warminster Patch photos and a brief outline of the town, located in Wiltshire County, approximately two hours west of London.

The earliest records for Warminster date back to the 1000s, when the town was settled during the Anglo-Saxon period, compared to Warminster, Pa.'s establishment in 1711.

Today, approximately 18,000 people live in Warminster, UK. According to the latest U.S. Census, approximately 33,000 residents call Warminster, Pa., home. Both towns have a bustling business district, with the UK Warminster hosting a robust marketplace through the center of town.

Warminster, UK, is home to the 1st Battalion Yorkshire Regiment, recently renamed from the 3rd Battalion, which lost 12 soldiers during the War in Afghanistan. Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is Colonel-in-Chief of the Yorkshire Regiment and, according to Burn, has been known to share a pint with local residents in a few Warminster pubs.

Burn says that every British Army officer passes through the Warminster garrison at least once for training, similar to how every NASA astronaut trained at the NADC in Warminster, Pa., before the Mercury and Apollo missions.

The town is a few minutes away from popular tourist attractions such as Longleat Estate and its safari park, the Stourhead Estate and the Roman spa city of Bath, pulling in thousands of visitors to the area each year.